[Winter Songs] Classic Showa-era masterpieces. Popular songs you’ll want to listen to in winter.

Tsugaru Strait – Winter SceneIshikawa Sayuri

Tsugaru Strait – Winter Scene

Sayuri Ishikawa’s universally recognized signature song, released in 1977 as her 15th single.

It was the track that marked her transformation from an idol debutante into a full-fledged enka singer, earning her the Vocal Performance Award at the Japan Record Awards among many other honors and securing its place as a major hit.

Depicting the feelings of a woman heading north, the song has been covered by numerous famous artists such as Sachiko Kobayashi and Masayoshi Yamazaki, and has also been covered overseas in Mandarin and Taiwanese versions—spreading across the sea and winning hearts throughout Asia.

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White Winterfuki no tō

☆彡 White Winter / Fukinotou ≪Lyrics≫ (1974) ≪No.♪≫

Set against the shifting season from late autumn into winter, this work gently sings of the bittersweet ache of a love now past.

Released in September 1974 as Fuki no Tō’s debut single, it reached No.

14 on the Oricon weekly chart and sold approximately 185,000 copies.

Rooted in a simple acoustic guitar arrangement, the interwoven harmonies of the duo’s voices delicately portray the deepening loneliness of autumn and the arrival of a white winter.

Its unadorned, pure folk sound quietly evokes nostalgia for lost time, making it a timeless classic.

Perfect for nights when you reminisce about a former love, or for lingering by the window as the snow falls.

Ballad of the Rainbow and SnowTo wa e mo wa

1971 Towa et Moi – Ballad of Rainbow and Snow (Single Version)

The famous song by Towa Teu Moi, created for the 1972 Sapporo Olympics, is a winter anthem that carries hope across the northern land.

Lyricist Bunichiro Kawamura was given three conditions by NHK—“a song that would be sung for many years after the Games,” “a song that expressed the feelings of Sapporo’s citizens,” and “a song ordinary people could easily sing.” After about two weeks of deliberation, he completed the lyrics.

Through the contrasting motifs of snow and rainbows, the piece conveys both the strength of people living amid harsh nature and a wish for peace that connects nations around the world.

Released in August 1971, it was also performed at that year’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

It’s a perfect song to listen to when visiting Sapporo in winter or when you want to face forward without yielding to the cold.

Midwinter Datetenchi mari

Mari Amachi ☆ Midwinter Date

Mari Amachi, who was a national idol in the early 1970s.

This song, included as the B-side of the single “Futari no Nichiyoubi,” released in December 1972, warmly depicts lovers intertwining their fingers and snuggling close as a wintry, leafless avenue is swept by a cold wind.

The lyrics are by Michio Yamagami, the music by Masayuki Hirao, and the arrangement by Shunichi Makaino.

The words, which sing of love nurtured in the cold season, combine with Amachi’s clear, transparent voice to evoke a sense of hope amid the poignancy.

Featured on a single that sold about 440,000 copies at the time, the track was also included on the album “Ashita e no Melody” and has continued to be loved by fans.

Give it a listen while imagining a moment spent with someone special on a chilly day.

December RainArai Yumi

December Rain / Jyunigatsu No Ame

This song, which captures the loneliness of winter and the bittersweet longing for a love that has passed, is a gem that represents the early work of Yumi Arai.

Released in October 1974 and included on the album MISSLIM, it features a restrained band performance as its foundation, while the beautiful choral work by Tatsuro Yamashita and Taeko Onuki leaves a strong impression.

There is even an anecdote that Yamashita agreed to join the recording on the condition that he handle the chorus arrangement.

Set against a winter scene of December rain, a quiet nostalgia for days that will never return rises to the surface.

It’s a song you’ll want to listen to softly by a window streaked with cold rain, when you feel like immersing yourself in memories of the past.